Park City-area investor Richard Rapp with Annapurna Capital Partners, LP, is applying for the annexation.
He wants to combine three lots north of town, a total of 92 acres at Hallam Road and Lambert Lane. If the city decides to annex them, he’s proposing a “conservation subdivision.”
Land use planners typically define a conservation subdivision as a residential development with at least half the space preserved as communal open space.
Rapp is proposing leaving 70% of the space open by only developing 25 acres south of the Weber-Provo diversion canal.
The Francis City Council and Planning Commission had a preliminary discussion May 2 about pros and cons of annexation.
One pro, City Planner Katie Hennuese told the council, is having a say in the land’s future.
“Keep in mind, this property was formerly in the West Hills incorporation area, and the developer has requested that they be excluded from that area,” Henneuse said. “They would like to be part of Francis.”
County records show the 92 acres, dubbed the Burton Ranch, are managed by Chris Burton, although Rapp’s name is on the annexation petition. KPCW could not obtain contact information for either person.
The Burton Ranch is within Francis’ “annexation declaration” area, the total area the city could annex. The declaration is non-binding but a courtesy to neighbors, like Kamas, to help visualize how Francis City will grow.
And it’s Rapp’s second time applying for this annexation. In 2022, he wanted to develop on both sides of the canal, including commercial units, and the city denied the proposal.
Then he went to Kamas City, which said “no” because the land is within Francis’ annexation declaration area, according to a Francis staff report.
So Rapp is back with a downsized proposal of 106 residential units.
Henneuse told the council Francis is projected to grow by 1,000 people in the next 20 years, so it would need 500 units to accommodate them. But she said those 500 unbuilt units have already been approved in existing city boundaries.
That’s the downside, Planning Commissioner Kimberly Lawson said: the Hidden Meadows and Hart Crossing subdivisions are already approved directly across Lambert Lane.
“I just think this is overwhelming the area for this part of Francis,” she said. “Maybe if it were divided differently … I might feel better about it.”
Francis resident of almost two decades, Jesse Coon, lives in the middle of all three: Hidden Meadows, Hart Crossing and the proposed Burton Ranch. “Can’t stop progress,” he said.
“The valley is going to just outgrow itself,” he told KPCW. “It’s just obvious what's going to happen to the valley, so we can't do anything much about it.”
Before the Francis City Council makes a decision on the Burton Ranch annexation, residents can give their input at planning commission and city council hearings. It’s unclear when a final decision is expected.
